# Rico RGB Keypad Base, assign uart pin

**URL:** https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/rico-rgb-keypad-base-assign-uart-pin/23226
**Category:** Raspberry Pi
**Created:** [November 6, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/rico-rgb-keypad-base-assign-uart-pin/23226 "2023-11-06T01:16:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![kwh0420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba9def/32.png) [@kwh0420](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/kwh0420)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/rico-rgb-keypad-base-assign-uart-pin/23226/1 "2023-11-06T01:16:23Z")

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Hello, I bought a Pico RGB Keypad Base. I want to assign a uart pin to this base. However, I am concerned that a uart pin is already being used to connect each button. Is it possible to allocate a uart pin and connect it to an external raspberry pie?

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### Author: ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2023, 9:31am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/rico-rgb-keypad-base-assign-uart-pin/23226/2 "2023-11-06T09:31:31Z")

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The buttons are connected to an IO expander which then connects to the Pico via i2c.  
And the LED’s only use a couple of the SPI pins. You have oodles of pins to use for other things.  
There is a link to the schematic on its shop page. ;)  
[pico-matrix-keypad.sch (shopify.com)](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0174/1800/files/pico_rgb_keypad_base_schematic.pdf?v=1629994431)

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### Author: ![kwh0420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba9def/32.png) [@kwh0420](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/kwh0420)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2023, 11:39am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/rico-rgb-keypad-base-assign-uart-pin/23226/3 "2023-11-06T11:39:00Z")

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![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/pimoroni/original/2X/6/64e919836d437361b8691414bc521f5424c50ab2.jpeg)  
then can I use the pin 1,2 for assigning UART pin?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2023, 11:55am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/rico-rgb-keypad-base-assign-uart-pin/23226/4 "2023-11-06T11:55:48Z")

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Yes, you can use pins 1 and 2 fort assigning to UART.

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### Author: ![kwh0420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba9def/32.png) [@kwh0420](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/kwh0420)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2023, 6:09am UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/rico-rgb-keypad-base-assign-uart-pin/23226/5 "2023-11-07T06:09:37Z")

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> [@kwh0420](#):
>
> for

Thank you!  
I’ll try it